As they are wont to do, while the wipers are on, they make this terrible loud rubber wiping sound while they are on. "The wipers are new, so that's not the problem," I said.

"It must be the tension on the wiper arms," Marilynn replied. "Not that they'll ever have to be replaced; they're made by Toyota, after all."

Maybe three minutes after that, the passenger-side wiper blade flopped off the arm and started getting dragged across the windshield. Ever tried to drive in Houston in the rain? Much less with the windshield wipers on the fritz?

Once we left the vet, I looked and the plastic connector piece broke or was loose, and this let the wiper blade come free from the arm. We drove the several miles home trying to find a balance between having a clear view of the road and not scraping the windshield with the metal of the wiper arm, and once we got close to home, we stopped in at our local Shell station at Westerland and Westheimer. This is where Marilynn always takes her car for work and state inspections, so she has a good relationship with the guys there.

At the Shell, they pulled the car in and less than two minutes later, the wiper blades were repaired. I pulled my wallet out and they told me no charge. I asked if he was sure, but he said yes. I was stunned; people really do things like that now?

So definitely, I am happy with the Shell, and I understand why Marilynn takes her car there. They're our heroes! If you're in the neighborhood, you should stop in and see them, too.

restlessmind